Korean Journal of Community Nutrition (대한지역사회영양학회지)

The Korean Society of Community Nutrition (대한지역사회영양학회)
권호 표지

Minimal Weight and Body Fat Percentage in Relation to the Onset of Menarche in Korean Females

한국 여성의 초경개시 임계 체중과 체지방률

  • Jeong Eun-Sook (Department of Food and Nutrition Jeonnam National University) ;
  • Lee Jeone-A (Department of Food and Nutrition Jeonnam National University) ;
  • Lim Hyeon-Sook (Department of Food and Nutrition Jeonnam National University)
  • 정은숙 (전남대학교 생활과학대학 식품영양학과) ;
  • 이정아 (전남대학교 생활과학대학 식품영양학과) ;
  • 임현숙 (전남대학교 생활과학대학 식품영양학과)
  • Published : 2005.04.01
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

Menarche is a main indicator of sexual maturity which relates to a reproductive function. The onset of the menstrual cycle differs individually and is influenced by many variables such as socio-economic situation, race, genetics, climate, altitude, nutritional status, and physical growth. Among them physical growth has been known to be the most influencing factor, particularly when expressed as body fat designated by weight. This study intended to investigate the body composition of girls around the menarche period and to evaluate the minimal levels of weight and fat percentage needed for the onset of menarche. A total of 101 female subjects, aged 11 to 13 years, were recruited from the 5th and 6th grades of an elementary school, in Mokpo, Korea. The subjects were placed into one of two groups Pre-menarche and Post-menarche groups according to their experience with menarche. Thereafter, the subjects in the Post-group were placed into 4 subgroups based on the number of menstruations they experienced: Post-I (1-3 times), Post-II (4-6 times), Post-III (7-9 times), and Post-IV (> 10 times). The average age at the onset of menarche of the subjects in Post groups was $11.2 \pm 0.6$ years. There were significant differences in the data of anthropometry and body composition between the Pre and Post groups, although the mean ages of both Pre and Post groups were the same. Weight, waist, hip and thigh girths, fat percentage, and lean body mass of the Post groups were significantly higher than those of the Pre group. Height was not significantly different between the groups. Weight was highly correlated with body fat mass (r = 0.92. p < 0.001), fat percentage (r = 0.85, p < 0.001), and body mass index (r = 0.91, p < 0.001) These results indicate that weight, compared with height, reflects body composition well and influences the onset of the menstrual cycle. It could also be suggested that the minimal weight and fat percentage needed for the onset of menarche in Korean females are 41 kg and $17\%\;to\;19\%$, respectively.

Keywords

References

  1. Ayatollahi SMT, Dowlatabadi E, Ayatollahi SAR (1999): Age at menarche and its correlates in Shiraz, southern Iran. Irn J Med Sci 24 (1 & 2): 20-25
  2. Anderson SE, Dallal GE, Must A (2003): Relative weight and race influence average age at menarche: results from two nationally representative surveys of US girls studied 25 years apart. Pediatrics 111 (4) : 844-850 https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.111.4.844
  3. Baek NS, Choi JH, Kim JH, Lee MJ, Moon SJ, Lee SI (1997): An ecological analysis of iron status of middle school in Seoul. Korean J Nutr 30 (8) : 960-975
  4. Bagga A, Kulkarni S (2000): Age at menarche and secular trend in Maharashtrian (Indian) girls. Acta Biologica Szegediensis 44(1-4): 53-57
  5. Dann TC, Robertts DF (1993): Menarcheal age in University of Warwick young women. J Biosoc Sci 25 (4): 531-538
  6. Ellison T (1982): Skeletal growth fitness and menarcheal age. A composition of two hypotheses. Hum Biol 54: 269-281
  7. ESCAP (UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific) (1982) : Significance of the relationship between nutrition and human reproduction. Population Res Leads 8: 1-12
  8. Eveleth PB (1986): Timing of menarche: secular trend and population differences. In: School-age Pregnancy and Parenthood: Biosocial Dimensions (Lancaster 18, Hamburg BA, eds.). pp.39-52, Aldine de Gruyter, New York
  9. Freire WB (1989): Hemoglobin as a predictor of response to iron therapy and its use in screening and prevalence estimates. Am J Clin Nutr 50: 1442-1449
  10. Frisch RE (1990): The right weight: body fat, menarche, and ovulation. Baillieres Clin Obstet Gynecol 4: 419-439 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0950-3552(05)80302-5
  11. Frisch RE, Revelle R (1970): Height and weight at menarche and a hypothesis of critical body weights and adolescent events. Science 24: 169(943): 397-399
  12. Frisch RE, Revelle R (1969): The height and weight of adolescent boys and girls at the time of peak velocity of growth in height and weight: longitudinal data. Hum Biol 41 (4) : 536-59
  13. Herman-Giddens ME, Slora EJ, Wasserman FC, Bourdony CJ, Carlos J, Bhapkar MY, Koch GG, Hassemeier CM (1997): Secondary sexual characteristics and menses in young girls seen in office practice: A study from the pediatric research in office settings network. Pediatrics 99(4): 505-512 https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.99.4.505
  14. Hong MH, Kim T, Ku PS, Lee C, Moon J, Oh MJ, Park YJ, Shin JC (1996): Menarche in Korean adolescent girls. Korean J Obstet Gynecol 39(5): 865-879
  15. Hulanicka B, Waliszko A (1991): Deceleration of age at menarche in Poland. Ann Hum Biol 18: 507-513 https://doi.org/10.1080/03014469100001812
  16. Khan AD, Schroeder DG, Martorell R, Rivera JA (1995): Age at menarche and nutritional supplementation. J Nutr 125: 1090S-1096S
  17. Kim EI, Park SW (1993): Study on the estimation of menacheal age according to level of menarcheal experience rate. J Korean Soc Health Statistics 18: 13-20
  18. Kim HS, Kim JY, Shin YK, Park SH, Tockgo YC (1997): A study on menarcheal age and monthly incidence of school girls in Ansan. Korean J Pediatrics 40: 458-463
  19. Klein JR, Litt IF (1981): Epidemiology of adolescent dysmenorrhea. Pediatrics 689 (5) : 661-664
  20. Kretchmer N, Zimmermann M (1997): Developmental Nutrition. pp.75-77, Allyn and Bacon, Boston
  21. Ku BS (1977): Menarche in Korean women. Korean J Obstet Gynecol 20(9): 623-647
  22. Laslett P (1985): Age at menarche in Europe since the eighteenth century. J Interdiscip Hist 16: 221-236 https://doi.org/10.2307/204175
  23. Maclure M, Travls LB, Willett W, MacMahon B (1991): A prospective cohort study of nutrient intake and age at menarche. Am J Clin Nutr 54: 649-656
  24. Marshall WA, De Limongi Y (1976): Skeletal maturity and the prediction of age at menarche. Ann Hum Biol 3 : 235-243 https://doi.org/10.1080/03014467600001401
  25. Moffitt TE, Caspi A, Belsky J, Silva PA (1992): Childhood experience and the onset of menarche: a test of a sociobiological model. Child Dev 63 (1) : 47-58 https://doi.org/10.2307/1130900
  26. Park SH (1989): Study on the relationship between menarche and physical growth. J Korean Biometric Soc 14(1): 17-30
  27. Simmons K, Greulich WW (1943): Menarcheal age and the height, weight and skeletal age of girls aged 7 to 17 years. J Pediatrics 22: 518-548 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3476(43)80022-6
  28. St George IM, Williams S. Silva PA (1994) : Body size and the menarche: the Dunedin study. J Adolesc Health 15: 573-576 https://doi.org/10.1016/1054-139X(94)90141-O
  29. Satwanti BR, Kapoor AK, Singh IP (1982): Variation in the age at menarche due to physical exercise and altitude. Z Morph Anthrop 73: 323-332
  30. Tryggvadottir L, Tulinius H, Larusdottir M (1994): A decline and halt in mean age at menarche in Iceland. Ann Hum Biol 21 (2): 179-186 https://doi.org/10.1080/03014469400003202
  31. Whincup PH, Gilg JA, Odoki K, Taylor HJC, Cook DG (2001): Age of menarche in contemporary British teenagers: survey of girls born between 1982 and 1986. BJM 5;322(7294): 1095-1096
  32. Wyshak G, Frisch RE (1982): Evidence for a secular trend in age of menarche. N Engl J Med 305: 1033-1035 https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM198110293051801
  33. Zacharias L, Rand WM, Wurtman RJ (1976): A prospective study of sexual development and growth in American girls: the statistics of menarche. Obstet Gynecol Surv 31 (4): 325-337 https://doi.org/10.1097/00006254-197604000-00026